Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
CHAPTER 5
Audit Evidence and Documentation Review Questions
5-1
Audit Audit risk is the the poss possibi ibility lity that the auditors auditors may unk unkno nowi wing ngly ly fail to approp appropriate riately ly mo modif dify y their their opinion on financial statements that are materially misstated !t is composed of the possibility that "1# a material misstatement in an assertion about an account has occurred "inherent risk and control risk#$ and "%# the auditors do not detect the misstatement "detection risk# Detection risk is this second component$ the risk that the auditors& procedures will lead them to conclude that a material misstatement does not e'ist e'ist in an assertion when in fact such misstatement does e'ist All other factors held constant$ audit risk increases with increases in detection risk
5-%
(he two compon component entss of of the the risk of material material misstate misstateme ment nt includ includee inhere inherent nt risk and control control risk risk !nherent risk is the risk of material misstatement of an assertion about an account$ class of transaction$ or disclosure without considering internal control$ and control risk is the risk that internal control will fail to prevent or detect and correct the material misstatement
5-)
!nhe !nhere rent nt risk risk refers refers to to the the possi possibi bili lity ty of of a materi material al mis missta state teme ment nt occu occurri rring ng in in an asser asserti tion on assuming no related internal controls Accordingly$ Accordingly$ since it e'ists independently of the auditors$ the auditors cannot *reduce+ inherent risk ,ather$ they gather evidence that allows them to make make an accurate assessment of the e'isting inherent risk
5-
Routine transactions involve recurring financial activities recorded in the accounting records in the normal normal course of business E'amples include sales transactions$ purchase purch ase transactions$ cash disbursements$ cash receipts$ and payroll transactions Nonroutine transactions involve activities that occur only periodically periodically E'amples include taking physical inventories$ calculating depreciation$ and consolidating financial results Estimation transactions are financial reporting activities that involve creating an accounting estimate E'amples include estimating the allowance for uncollectible accounts$ estimating warranty reserves$ and assessing assets for impairment
5-5
.ecaus .ecausee inhe inhere rent nt risk risk and and con contro troll risk risk are a resul resultt of char charact acteri eristi stics cs of the the cli clien entt and and its int intern ernal al controls$ auditors assess a ssess them .ecause detection risk is a function of the effectiveness effectiveness of the audit procedures used to gather evidence$ it is restricted to the appropriate level based on the scope of procedures performed
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
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(he sufficiency of audit evidence is a matter of udgment on every audit$ because there are no firm guidelines on the uantity of evidence evidence necessary necessary in a specific audit (he strength of the client&s internal control$ the inherent risk of the audit$ the levels of materiality for the audit$ and the e'istence of related-party transactions are among the factors influencing the auditors& udgment udgment on on the suffici sufficiency ency of audit eviden evidence ce !n addition$ addition$ the uantity of evidenc evidencee needed needed to support the auditors& opinion varies inversely with the uality of the available evidence Appropriateness is the measure of the uality of audit evidence2both its relevance and reliability (he reliability of audit evidence depends on its source$ rather than wholly on the udgment udgment of the auditors auditors 3or e'ample$ e'ample$ documentary documentary evide evidence nce created outside outside the client client organi4ation and transmitted directly to the auditors is normally of higher uality than documentary evidence created and held within the client organi4ation o rgani4ation
5-
(he uo uoted ted stateme statement nt is misl mislead eading ing66 the the ccoun ountin ting g of of offi office ce euipm euipment ent and similar similar assets assets does does not establish the propriety of the dollar amounts shown shown on the balance sheet 7either does a physical physical count of assets establish ownership Establishing the physical e'istence of an asset is often only one step in the process of verification6 the determination of valuation and of legal ownership are often of eual significance
5-8
.ecaus .ecausee the the purch purchase ase inv invoi oice cess are are prepar prepared ed by by comp compan anie iess othe otherr than than the the clie client nt$$ they they repr represe esent nt more reliable evidence evidence 3alsification 3alsificat ion of such documents documents would reuire rather elaborate elabor ate planning to obtain letterheads of an outside organi4ation6 whereas in many companies$ sales invoice forms are readily rea dily available to many employees employees and may not even be controlled by serial numbers (his comparison is merely a specific e'ample of the general rule that documentary evidence created outside an organi4ation is generally considered more dependable than internally created documents
5-9
(he stock stock cert certif ifica icates tes are mor moree reliab reliable le evi evide denc ncee than than the the notes notes becau because se stoc stock k certi certifi ficat cates es are are prepared in a manner manner that makes makes alteration alteration or falsification falsification e'tremely e'tremely diffi difficult cult (he type type of paper$ engraving$ signatures$ serial numbers$ and similar features make stock certificates a highly dependable form of documentary documentary evidence 7otes receivable$ on the other hand$ may easily be created on standard forms obtainable at any bank
5-10
Audito Auditors rs may find find it useful useful to apply apply analytica analyticall proced procedures ures at several several differ differen entt time timess durin during g the the audit (hese procedures must be be applied during the risk assessment stage to enhance the auditors& understanding of the client&s business$ to direct the auditors& attention to higher risk areas$ areas $ and to assist in the design of an effective audit program Also$ analytical procedures may be applied during field work as substantive substantive procedures procedures to provide provide evidence evidence as to the reasonableness of specific account balances 3inally$ the auditors are required to to apply analytical procedures to the audited financial statements as a part of the final overview of the engagement
5-11 5-11
Among speciali Among specialists sts whose whose find findin ings gs migh mightt provide provide comp compete etent nt evid eviden ence ce for for the indepe independ nden entt auditors auditors are "only four reuired#: actuaries$ actuar ies$ appraisers$ appraiser s$ attorneys$ engineers$ environmental consultants$ and geologists
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
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(he maor purposes of obtaining a client representation letter include: "a# to remind the client officers of their primary responsibility for the financial statements$ "b# to document in the audit working papers the client&s responses to many uestions asked by the auditors during the engagement$ and "c# to provide evidence in areas where accounting presentation may be dependent upon management&s future intentions
5-1)
7o A client representation letter should be viewed as supplementary evidence6 it should never be used as a substitute for performing other appropriate audit procedures
5-1
(hree approaches for auditing estimates are: "1#
,eview and test management&s process of developing the estimate ;sing this approach an auditor will in essence follow the procedures performed by management and consider their accuracy$ whether they follow
"%#
!ndependently develop an estimate of the amount to compare to management&s estimate >ere$ for e'ample$ if management has estimated the allowance for doubtful accounts using an estimated percentage of credit sales$ the auditors might choose to estimate the allowance by aging receivables
")#
,eview subseuent events or transactions bearing on the estimate 3or e'ample$ collection of a receivable after year-end provides evidence relevant to the valuation of the account at year-end
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(he statement is false (he auditors$ as much as business e'ecutives$ must consider the cost of the services they render As an e'treme e'ample$ the strongest evidence of the collectibility of an account receivable held by a client might be to conduct an audit of the customer firm6 the cost of such a step would make this method of securing evidence uite out of the uestion
5-1/
(he approach is basically an *e'it value$+ that is$ a sales value approach 3air value is defined to be the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date
5-1
,elated party transactions$ as the term would suggest$ are those between related parties =arties are considered to be ?related? when one party has the ability to influence the other party to the e'tent that one of the transacting parties may not be pursuing its separate interest E'amples of parties related to the client entity include officers and directors "and their immediate family members# and affiliated companies ,outine transactions between related parties$ such as normal compensation arrangements and e'pense accounts$ are e'cluded from the definition of related party transactions
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Disclosure reuirements for related party transactions include: "1# "%# ")# "#
A description of the transactions$ including dollar amounts (he relationship between the parties Amounts receivable from or owed to related parties at the balance sheet date (he terms and manner of settlement
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
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(he statement is correct in that identifying related parties and obtaining a client representation letter are both reuired audit procedures !n addition$ the client representation letter is dated as of the last day of field work because it includes representations with respect to subseuent events >owever$ the identification of related parties should be done at the beginning of the engagement$ not at the end (he audit staff needs to know the identities of related parties so that they may be alert for related party transactions throughout the engagement
5-%0
(he primary functions of audit working papers are to provide "1# evidence of the auditor@s basis for concluding on the achievement of the audit@s overall obectives and "%# evidence that the audit was planned and performed in accordance with
5-%1
(he prior year&s audit working papers are a useful guide to staff assistants because the audit procedures performed in the prior year usually are similar to those of the current year .y referring to last year&s working papers$ the assistant can see how the procedures were documented and is given a possible format for organi4ing the current year&s working paper !n addition$ e'ceptions noted in last year&s working papers may alert the assistant to possible problems in the current year 3inally$ the prior year&s working papers contain information substantiating the beginning balances for the current year
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(he more common types of audit working papers and their principal purposes may be summari4ed as follows: "1#
Audit administrative--working papers that aid the auditors in planning and administration of the audit$ and include such items as audit programs$ uestionnaires and flowcharts$ decision aids$ time budgets$ and engagement letters
"%#
Borking trial balance--represents the backbone of the auditors& working papers$ for it contains the balances of the ledger accounts$ the adustments and reclassifications deemed necessary by the auditors$ and the adusted amounts that appear in the financial statements !t also contains references to all supporting schedules and analyses$ thus serving to control the other types of working papers
")#
ead schedules--working papers that serve to combine similar general ledger accounts$ the total of which appears on the working trial balance
"#
Adusting ournal entries--material misstatements in the accounts disclosed by the auditors& investigation are corrected by means of adusting ournal entries (hese appear on the auditors& working trial balance$ and$ in addition$ a list of such entries is turned over to the client at the conclusion of the audit with the reuest that they be approved and entered in the accounting records
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
"5#
,eclassification entries--entries necessary to properly reflect financial results but not representing misstatements in the financial records of the client
"/#
upporting schedules--although the term schedule is at times applied to various types of working papers$ the preferred usage is to designate a listing of the details or elements comprising the balance in an account at a specified date =reparation of such a listing is often an essential step in determining the nature of an account
"#
Analyses--consist of working papers showing the changes that occurred in an account during a given period .y analy4ing an account$ the auditors determine its nature and contents
"8#
,econciliations--working papers that prove the relationship between two amounts obtained from different sources
"9#
Computational working papers--used to verify such data as interest e'pense$ income ta'es$ and earnings per share
"10#
Corroborating documents--working papers that provide support for specific representations made in the financial statements$ such as letters of representations from clients$ lawyers& letters$ audit confirmations$ and copies of contracts
5-%)
Audit working papers are the property of the auditors6 however$ they must not violate the confidential relationship between client and auditors by making the papers available to outsiders or even to the client&s employees without specific permission from the client Borking papers should be retained for a minimum of 5 years " years for public company audits# Also$ under no circumstance should working papers be destroyed after they have been subpoenaed or after litigation involving an engagement has been announced
5-%
(he third parties who are likely to charge the auditors with negligence are bankers$ creditors$ stockholders$ or other persons who invest money in a business in reliance upon audited financial statements and subseuently sustain losses !f events subseuent to the audit show that the audited statements did not provide a fair picture of financial position$ operating results$ or cash flows$ the inured third parties are likely to attempt to recover their losses from the auditors on grounds that they were negligent in conducting the e'amination During court cases$ the auditors& working papers are produced6 the plaintiffs are given an opportunity to point out any conflicting statements or other evidence in the papers that tend to substantiate their charges
5-%5
Even though the balances of the client&s revenue and e'pense accounts have been closed to the ,etained Earnings account prior to the auditors& arrival$ the balances of revenue and e'pense accounts prior to their closing should be included in the auditors& working trial balance ince the auditors ordinarily e'press an opinion on the income statement as well as the balance sheet$ it is imperative that the audit working papers include full information on the revenue and e'pense accounts
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
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!nclusion of the final figures from the prior year&s audit in a working trial balance or lead schedules facilitates comparisons and focuses attention on any unusual changes6 it also gives assurance that the correct starting figure is used if the auditors verify the year&s transactions in a balance sheet account in order to determine the validity of the ending balance
5-%
(he auditors should prepare adusting ournal entries for material items only (he auditors are concerned with the fairness$ not the preciseness$ of the client&s financial statements6 thus the auditors may ignore immaterial errors having no significant effect on the fairness of the financial statements >owever$ the auditors should consider the cumulative materiality of ?passed? adustments that appear to be immaterial when considered individually Also$ management must concur and represent that it believes that adustments that made are not material individually or in the aggregate
5-%8
(he permanent file consists of working papers that are of use in the audits of multiple succeeding years uch papers are reviewed and brought up to date in each succeeding audit and$ therefore$ may be contrasted with the file of current year&s working papers which relate only to a single year&s audit (ypical of the papers to be placed in the permanent file are copies of the articles of incorporation or partnership agreement$ long-term construction contracts$ description of the history and policies of the company$ and schedules or analyses of such accounts as capital stock$ land$ and buildings which often show little or no change over a period of years
5-%9
,ules to be observed in the preparation of working papers include the following: "1#
A separate working paper should be prepared for each topic
"%#
nly one side of a sheet is used
")#
=roper identification of a working paper includes a heading with the name of the client company$ a clear description of the information presented$ and the applicable date or period covered
"#
Documents e'amined$ employees interviewed$ and sites visited should be completely identified
"5#
Borking papers should be dated and signed or initialed by the preparer$ and signed or initialed by the senior$ manager$ or partner who reviewed the working paper
"/#
All working papers should be inde'ed and should be cross-referenced to the working trial balance or lead schedules
"#
Bhere reference is needed between papers$ there must be adeuate cross-referencing
"8#
(he nature of verification work performed by the auditors should be indicated on each working paper
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
"9#
(he e'tent and scope of tests of controls and substantive procedures should be stated clearly in the working papers for every phase of the audit
"10#
(he working papers should include comments by the auditors indicating their conclusions on each aspect of the work
"11#
(he rewriting of working papers should be considered evidence of inefficiency and inadeuate planning
"1%#
(he purpose of each working paper and its relation to the audit obectives should be clear
"1)#
Borking papers should be placed in the completed file as soon as they are finished
5-)0
!n summari4ing for the working papers the e'tent and results of the work in verifying footings of the cash ournals$ the auditor&s statement of the periods for which footings were verified would be of greater significance than the dollar amounts verified A statement of the periods covered provides the reviewer with the basis for an opinion as to the adeuacy of the procedure
5-)1
(he purpose of a ?second partner review? is to provide assurance that all of the C=A firm&s uality control policies have been met during the engagement$ as well as that the audit was performed in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards
5-)%
!n their review of audit working papers$ managers and partners look for indications that the audit was performed in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and firm uality control policies and procedures6 and they udge whether the evidence accumulated during the audit supports the C=A firm&s opinion on the client&s financial statements
Questions Requiring Analysis
5-))
"a#
anagement makes the assertions that are embodied in the financial statements
"b#
(he financial statement assertions are: Assertions about account balances: • • •
•
Existence--assets$ liabilities$ and euity interests e'ist Completeness--all assets$ liabilities and euity interests have been recorded Rights and obligations--the entity holds or controls the rights to assets and liabilities are the obligations of the entity Valuation and allocation-- assets$ liabilities$ euity interests are included at appropriate amounts
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
Assertions about transactions and events: •
• •
• •
Occurrence 2transactions and events that have been recorded have occurred and pertain to the entity Completeness 2all transactions and events have been recorded Accuracy 2amounts and other data relating to recorded transactions have been recorded appropriately 2transactions and events have been recorded in the correct accounting period Cutoff Classification 2transactions and events have been recorded in the proper accounts
Assertions about presentation and disclosure: • • • • •
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5-)5
"a#
Audit ,isk F !nherent ,isk ' Control ,isk ' Detection ,isk Detection ,isk F Audit ,isk G "!nherent ,isk ' Control ,isk# Detection ,isk F )H G "100H ' 50H# Detection ,isk F /H
"b#
Detection ,isk F Audit ,isk G "!nherent ,isk ' Control ,isk# Detection ,isk F 5H G "100H ' 50H# Detection ,isk F 10 H
(ypes of audit evidence "with e'amples# include: • • • • • • •
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Occurrence 2disclosed events and transactions have occurred Rights and obligations 2disclosed events pertain to the entity Completeness 2all disclosures that should have been included have been included Accuracy and valuation 2information is disclosed fairly and at appropriate amounts Classification and understandability 2information is presented and described clearly
Accounting information system "e'amples2e'amine ournals and ledgers# Documentary evidence "e'amples2e'amine invoices$ purchase orders# (hird party representations "e'amples2confirmation of debt$ cash$ and receivables# =hysical evidence "e'amples2e'amination of plant euipment6 inventory items# Computations "e'amples--compute depreciation$ foot sales ournal# Data !nterrelationships "e'ample2analytical procedures# Client representations "e'amples2representation letters$ replies to inuiries#
"a#
Copies of client&s sales invoices are less competent evidence (hese documents are created inside the client organi4ation and are not scrutini4ed by outsiders (heir competence as evidence depends upon the strength of the client&s internal control
"b#
(he auditors& independent computation of earnings per share is highly competent evidence Computations of key financial statement uantities made independently by the auditors furnish e'cellent evidence as to the validity of the client&s computations of the same items
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
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"c#
=aid checks returned with bank statements are highly competent evidence Although these documents originated inside the client organi4ation$ they bear the endorsement of the payee "a party with opposing interests# and have been subect to scrutiny "and perforation or stamping# by one or more banks
"d#
A response from a customer of the client addressed to the auditors& office confirming amount owed at the balance sheet date is highly competent evidence (his type of document is of e'cellent uality as evidence because it comes directly to the auditors from outside the client organi4ation oreover$ the customer has an opposing interest to the client in that he or she does not want the account to show any larger amount than he or she is obligated to pay
"e#
A representation letter by the controller of the client company stating that all liabilities of which she has knowledge are reflected in the company&s accounts is less competent evidence ince the officers of the client company are responsible for fair and accurate reporting in the financial statements$ representation letter by the controller is little more than an acknowledgment of this responsibility and repetition of the representations inherent in the financial statements (he letter does not relieve the auditors of their obligation to verify management&s representations
"a#
!n the risk assessment stage of an audit$ analytical procedures help the auditors in obtaining an understanding of the client&s business and may direct the auditors& attention to potential problems and to areas reuiring special investigation Analytical procedures performed as substantive procedures are useful because they provide the auditors with evidence that substantiates the reasonableness of specific account balances or financial statement amounts Analytical procedures applied at the overall review stage of an audit provide an overview of the final audit figures (his final application is to provide assurance that the end results of the audit ?make sense$? and that the auditors have not ?failed to see the forest for the trees?
"b#
(he types of information that are available to auditors in developing e'pectations for analytical procedures include: "1# "%# ")# "# "5#
Comparable financial data from prior periods !ndustry averages ,elationships among elements of financial information within a period .udgets or forecasts ,elevant nonfinancial information 3or e'ample$ many operating costs of a trucking business should be related closely to the number of miles driven
5-9
Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
"c#
Auditors develop e'pectations for analytical procedures by: "1# "%#
")#
Trend analysis— !nvolves the review of changes in an account balance over time Ratio analysis— !nvolves comparisons of relationships between two or more financial statement account$ or comparisons of account balances to nonfinancial data (he two basic approaches are hori4ontal analysis and cross-sectional analysis Regression analysis— !nvolves the use of statistical models to uantify the auditors e'pectation about a financial statement amount or ratio Reasonaleness tests— Are similar to regression in that an e'pectation is developed$ but use other approaches to develop the estimate
"#
5-)8
"a#
(he possible reasons for a decrease in the rate of inventory turnover include the following: "1# "%# ")# "# "5# "/# "# "8#
"b#
(he possible reasons for an increase in the number of days& sales in receivables include the following: "1# "%# ")# "# "5# "/# "# "8#
5-)9
"a#
Decline in sales !ncrease in inventory uantities$ either intentional or unintentional !ncorrect computation of inventory because of errors in pricing$ e'tensions$ or taking of physical inventory !nclusion in inventory of slow-moving or obsolete items Erroneous cutoff of purchases Erroneous cutoff of sales under the perpetual inventory accounting system ;nrecorded purchases Change in inventory valuation method
Change in credit terms Decreasing sales Change in the sales mi' of products with different sales terms Change in mi' of customers !mproper sales cutoff ;nrecorded sales An employee&s fraudulent abstraction of collections from customers lower collections caused by tighter economic conditions or lowering of the uality of the receivables
(he obectives of the client&s representation letter are to: "1# "%# ")# "#
,emind the client&s officers of their primary responsibility for the financial statements =rovide evidence that management believes that adusting entries brought to its attention by the auditors and not made are not material =rovide written documentation of the client&s replies to various inuiries made by the auditors during the e'amination =rovide evidence in those areas in which accounting presentations are dependent upon management&s future intentions
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
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"b#
,epresentation letters should be prepared on the client&s letterhead and signed by the appropriate officers and employees !n most cases the C=As will draft the representation letter but the officers or employees must accept the statements in the letter as their own representations !t is important that the representation letter be signed by one or more officers or responsible employees who are knowledgeable about the particular area or activity reported upon 3or e'ample "and depending on the circumstances#$ the company secretary might prepare the representation concerning minutes of meetings of the board of directors$ the controller and the president might affirm the fair presentation of the financial statements and recording of liabilities$ and the purchasing agent might report on purchase commitments ;sually the letters are signed$ at a minimum$ by the client&s chief e'ecutive officer and chief financial officer
"c#
ince the representation letter refers to events occurring in the subseuent period$ it is appropriate that the letter be signed$ dated$ and delivered to the auditors on the last day of field work
(he evidence commonly accepted in support of entries in each of the following records is listed below "a#
ales Iournal Copies of consecutive numbered sales invoices$ signed contracts$ shipping records$ customers& purchase orders
"b#
ales ,eturns ,egister Copies of consecutively numbered credit memoranda$ properly approved6 correspondence6 receiving records
"c#
Joucher or !nvoice ,egister Jendors& invoices "originals# or signed contracts$ properly approved by the accounting department$ with attached receiving reports6 consecutively numbered copies of purchase orders6 freight bills
"d#
=ayroll ,egister Approved time cards or piecework tickets6 approved wage and salary increase or decrease notices6 personnel department records6 union contracts6 contracts with individual employees "including officers#6 paid checks6 payroll receipts$ if any6 social security and income ta' withholding records
"e#
Check ,egister Approved vendors& invoices6 paid checks6 signed vouchers6 bank statements
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
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(he working paper should include the following: "1# A title including the client&s name$ the date of the audit$ and the name of the working paper "%# (he name or initials of the auditor performing the work and the date ")# A logical inde' "in accord with the standard working paper referencing system# "# An indication that appropriate cross-references to the audit program and other working papers have been made "5# An indication that the account analysis was prepared by the client "/# (he source of the information included in the working paper "# An indication$ usually by tick marks$ of auditing procedures that were performed ;nless a standard system is being used$ all tick marks should be e'plained on the working paper =recise terminology should be used6 general terms such as ?vouched? or ?verified? should be replaced by more e'act descriptions of the supporting documents e'amined or other verifications made "8# Commentary "or references to commentary or memorandums# regarding e'ceptions encountered and uestions raised by the audit Bhen a point is raised$ it is important that its disposition also be shown in the working papers "9# =roposed adusting entries$ together with an indication of their disposition "10# Comments and recommendations for improvements in internal control and in the client&s procedures (hese will provide a basis for the auditors& internal control report to the client "11# A conclusion on the work performed "unless the conclusion is made in the audit program or a memorandum#
5-%
"a#
7o A C=A firm&s working papers belong to it unless the firm e'pressly agrees otherwise with the client (he uestion presents no evidence of any agreement that the working papers were to belong to anyone other than mith$ 3rank K Clark (his is the commonlaw rule that has been embodied in the statutory law of several states
"b#
(he C=A firm is an independent contractor !ts product is the report it provides on the client&s financial statements (he working papers are the C=A firm&s documentation of the work performed in reaching the opinion e'pressed in its report (he rule of law permits the accountants to retain this evidence of the nature and e'tent of the services they performed (he A!C=A Code of Professional Conduct reuires the accountants to keep the information in the working papers confidential >ence$ ownership by the accountants is coupled with their assumption of responsibility for confidentiality
5-)
Borking papers may properly include both factual data and e'pressions of opinion6 however$ the two should always be carefully distinguished (hus$ the statement$ ?Be e'amined the petty cash vouchers for the month of Iuly and found these documents to be poorly prepared and inadeuately controlled$? is an unsatisfactory mi'ture of fact and opinion Deficiencies in the preparation of petty cash vouchers$ such as omission of dates and signatures$ should be presented as factual matters (he auditors& opinion as to the adeuacy of the internal control over petty cash is properly included in the working paper but should clearly be labeled as an e'pression of opinion
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
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(he criticism by the auditor-in-charge was properly based on the fact that the assistant auditor left the working papers "which are of a confidential nature# e'posed to the e'amination of anyone who came along during the lunch hour (he working papers should have been placed in a locked briefcase or similar protected place during the auditor&s absence
!"ective Questions
5-5
ultiple Choice "a#
"#
(he effectiveness of internal control is not a financial statement assertion made by management
"b#
"#
A large amount of assets by itself is not indicative of high inherent risk perating results highly sensitive to economic factors$ large past misstatements$ and turnover of management all represent characteristics that may indicate high inherent risk
"c#
"1#
A client letter of representations may never be used as a substitute for other appropriate auditing procedures
"d#
"%#
According to the definition of ?related parties$? one party may be able to influence the other to the e'tent that the two parties do not pursue their own separate interests in conducting transactions (hus$ a risk e'ists that the substance of related party transactions may differ from their form
"e#
")#
Copies of sales invoices represent internally generated evidence$ which is considered least reliable Confirmations mailed by outsiders and correspondence between the auditor and suppliers represent more reliable e'ternally generated evidence Canceled checks$ although internally generated$ are considered reliable because they bear the endorsement of the payee and a perforation or stamp indicating payment by the bank
"f#
"%#
Analytical procedures are effective in isolating unusual transactions because such transactions may represent a change in a relationship being investigated Analytical procedures are not typically considered to be tests of internal control$ although in certain circumstances they might reveal errors caused by weaknesses in the internal control
"g#
")#
Auditors use three basic approaches for auditing accounting estimates2reviewing management@s process$ reviewing subseuent transactions$ and developing an independent estimate Confirmation is not a basic approach for auditing most accounting estimates
"h#
"#
A primary purpose of audit working papers is to provide documented evidence that the auditors had a firm basis for their report
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
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"i#
"%#
,elatively unchanging data$ such as a long-term lease agreement$ is placed in the permanent working paper file
"#
"1#
(he audit working papers are not prepared to assist management in illustrating that the financial statements are in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (he other three replies are functions of audit working papers
"k#
"%#
(he work of a specialist is only referred to in circumstances in which those findings do not support the representations made by management in the financial statements$ thus causing the auditors to modify their report
"l#
"#
Bhen a difference of opinion cannot be resolved$ the working papers should be e'panded to document the various positions and to describe how the difference of opinion was resolved
imulation
"a# "b# "c# "d# "e# "f# "g# "h# "i# "# "k#
) All assets have been recorded (ransactions are recorded in the correct accounting period 1 (here is such an asset / Assets are properly classified % (he company legally owns the assets 5 Assets are recorded at proper amounts 9 ,isk assessment procedures Analytical procedures 8 (ests of controls 10 (ests of details of account balances$ transactions$ or disclosures Analytical procedures
5- "a# !ncorrect (he risk of material misstatements composed of inherent risk and detection risk "b# Correct "c# !ncorrect A decrease in control risk$ absent other changes$ results in a decrease in the risk of material misstatement "d# Correct Detection risk is a function of the audit and its procedures !f there is no audit there is no measure of detection risk "e# !ncorrect (his is backwards Auditors restrict detection risk through the performance of more substantive procedures Auditors assess inherent risk and control risk "f# Correct "g# !ncorrect (he error is the *or immaterially+ Audit risk deals with material misstatements "h# Correct 5-8 "a# "b# "c# "d# "e#
1 ) ) 1 )
Achieve audit obectives related to a particular assertion Considering unusual or une'pected account balances that were not previously identified ,atio analysis ow Anticipated costs of audit completion
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
Prolems
5-9
5-50
;(!7: Audit ,isk "Estimated time: %0 minutes# "a#
Audit risk is the possibility that the auditors may unknowingly fail to appropriately modify their opinion on financial statements that are materially misstated !t consists of the possibility that "1# a material misstatement in an assertion about an account has occurred "inherent risk and control risk#$ and "%# the auditors do not detect the misstatement "detection risk#
"b#
!nherent risk refers to the possibility of a material misstatement occurring before considering internal control Control risk is the risk that a material misstatement will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis by the company&s internal control Detection risk is the risk that the auditors will fail to detect the misstatement with their audit procedures
"c#
(he risks vary inversely from one another (he less inherent or control risk the auditor believes e'ists$ the greater the acceptable detection risk Conversely$ the greater the inherent or control risk the auditor believes to e'ist$ the less the acceptable detection risk
"d#
Detection risk2the risk that the auditors fail to detect a misstatement2is the only risk that is completely a function of the sufficiency of the evidence gathered by the auditors& procedures !t only e'ists when an audit "or other attest service# is being performed !nherent risk and control risk are a function of the client and its operating environment ,egardless of how much evidence the auditors gather$ they cannot change the actual levels of these risks Evidence gathered by the auditors is used to assess the levels of inherent and control risk n the other hand$ evidence gathered for detection risk is used to restrict audit risk to the appropriate level
"e#
(he statement is incorrect in that it overlooks the liuid nature of cash as well as its high rate of turnover (hroughout a year a large amount of cash is typically generated and spent$ allowing for material misstatements$ potential embe44lement$ and other improper use (hus$ inherent risk for the account is normally high Control risk is based on the operating effectiveness of a company&s internal control .ecause inherent risk is high and control risk varies from client to client$ little can be said concerning the appropriate level of detection risk
;(!7: ak Canyon$ !nc "Estimated time: %5 minutes# .ecause of the weaknesses in internal control$ the auditors would place less than the usual reliance upon items "a# and "e# ore reliance would be placed on items "b#$ "c#$ and "d# (he reasoning for this conclusion can be e'plained by considering the nature of each of the five types of evidence
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
5-51
"a#
imited reliance can be placed on documentary evidence created within the organi4ation and not reviewed by outsiders Beak internal control often results in documents being prepared by individuals whose duties give them an incentive to create false documentation 3or e'ample$ an employee with access to cash receipts may also issue credit memoranda which are not subect to supervisory review !f a cash shortage arises for any reason$ the employee may be tempted to ?solve the problem? by issuing fraudulent credit memoranda 3ailure to account for all documents by serial number is also a threat because this practice leaves the auditors with no assurance that a population of documents is complete 3inally$ weak internal control provides a setting in which management could$ if it chose to do so$ use false supporting documents for the dual purpose of supporting misleading financial statements and deceiving the auditors
"b#
,eliance upon physical evidence may increase when internal control is weak 3or e'ample$ if internal control over inventory is weak$ the auditors may place more weight upon a complete physical inventory taken at the balance sheet date
"c#
,eliance upon evidence provided by specialists may be increased if internal controls over inventory are weak !n addition to emphasi4ing a complete physical count at the balance sheet date$ the auditors may want the assurance of independent e'perts "specialists# as to the uality and condition of the wine inventory
"d#
,eliance upon analytical procedures may be increased (he weakness in internal control could cause large errors in account balances Conseuently$ the analytical procedures that call attention to any unusual relationship between amounts in the financial statements take on added importance
"e#
,eliance upon accounting records as evidence tends to be reduced when internal controls are weak (he reliability of ournals and ledgers is determined by the strength of internal controls in their preparation 3or e'ample$ if the same person who maintains the general ledger maintains subsidiary ledgers$ little assurance of accuracy is provided by agreement between these records imilarly if there are no control measures to insure that all retirements of plant and euipment are recorded$ the euipment shown in the records may in fact no longer be used in operations
;(!7: >ope ,anch "Estimated time: %5 minutes# "a#
E'amination of the computer printout for this large account would be merely a preliminary step in the gathering of evidence by the auditors (he reliability of this printout would depend a great deal upon the adeuacy of internal controls6 specifically upon such points as whether the person maintaining this subsidiary ledger for accounts receivable had access to cash receipts$ whether he or she was also responsible for maintaining the general ledger$ and whether he or she played a part in the preparation of monthly statements sent to customers
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
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"b#
Copies of the sales invoices in the amount of the receivable would be dependable only if the internal control was strong$ so that the person maintaining the accounts receivable records had no opportunity to obtain or falsify invoices$ and the invoices were carefully controlled by serial numbers Even under these favorable circumstances$ not much weight could be attached to copies of sales invoices considered by themselves
"c#
A purchase order received from a customer constitutes somewhat stronger documentary evidence than invoices created within the client organi4ation$ but could nevertheless be fraudulently created without too much difficulty (he purchase order would be of more significance if the auditors knew the customer company and the nature of its operations
"d#
A shipping document describing the articles sold would be of considerable significance if prepared in the shipping department by persons having nothing to do with accounting records and if the document were serially numbered and properly controlled (his document is still$ however$ subect to the limitations of all documentary evidence prepared within the client company and circulating only within that company
"e#
A letter received by the client from the customer acknowledging the receivable is not of much value when it has passed through the client&s hands prior to its inspection by the auditors !t is of the same general order of reliability as the purchase order from the customer
"f#
A letter received by the auditors directly from the customer acknowledging the correctness of the amount shown as a receivable on the client&s accounting records is e'cellent evidence As a further precaution$ when the receivable in uestion is large in relation to the other assets of the client$ the auditors may wish to verify the e'istence and the credit rating of the customer by reference to trade ournals and directories and by inuiry of a credit rating agency
;(!7: .rody Corporation "Estimated time: %5 minutes# "a#
Accounts that might be out of line "1# ales returns and allowances "accounts receivable may be overstated# A misstatement in sales returns and allowances will result in overstatement of all subseuent operating results "%# Cost of goods sold ne would not e'pect a H increase in sales to result in a 10H increase in cost of goods sold isstatements of purchases and ending inventory are possible here "the beginning inventory is assumed correct in the problem# verstated purchases might result in overstated accounts payable An understatement of the ending inventory will result in overstated cost of goods sold ")# elling$ Advertising$ and ,esearch and Development e'pense (his might be the result of failure to record accrued e'penses as of year-end and thus be consistent with understated accounts payable Alternatively$ management may simply have decreased these largely discretionary e'penses
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
"b#
,atios that might be out of line "1# ,eceivable turnover (he decrease in receivable turnover seems significant ne would want to analy4e receivables and consider them in conunction with the allowance for doubtful accounts Also$ one might consider whether sales returns and allowance have not been recorded and thereby overstated ending receivables and possibly inventory if the ending inventory includes such as returned items "%# Days sales in ending receivables (he change in this ratio is consistent with collection problems as is the receivable turnover ratio ")# !nventory turnover (his decrease in the turnover ratio$ although of a similar management to that of the preceding year may indicate overstatements of inventory or possibly obsolete inventory items "#
Days sales in ending inventory (his represents an increase in inventory and the possible misstatements parallel those discussed for the inventory turnover
7ote to !nstructor: (he above are simply e'amples tudents may bring up others !n an actual situation an auditor would have more balance sheet information to work with as well as account information (he problem should generate a discussion of difficulties in developing an e'pectation 5-5)
;(!7: Accounting estimates and management assertions "Estimated time: %5 minutes# "a#
"b#
(hree approaches for auditing estimates are: "1#
,eview and test management&s process of developing the estimate ;sing this approach an auditor will recalculate the amount included in the allowance and consider the reasonableness of the method and result
"%#
!ndependently develop an estimate of the amount to compare to management&s estimate >ere$ for e'ample$ an auditor might age the year-end receivables$ estimate percentages uncollectible in each age group$ and calculate a year-end e'pected account balance (his amount will be compared to the amount calculated by the client
")#
,eview subseuent events or transactions bearing on the estimate Collection of receivables after year-end will provide evidence relevant to the valuation of the account at year-end verdue accounts will then be analy4ed to determine collectibility
(he valuation assertion for the allowance for uncollectible accounts addresses whether the amount in the account is determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ince accounts receivable should be valued at their net reali4able value$ the receivable balance less the allowance for uncollectible accounts should eual this amount
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
"c#
(he following factors are indicative of an account with high inherent risk: "1# difficult to audit transactions or balances6 "%# comple' calculations6 ")# difficult accounting issues6 "# significant udgment6 and "5# valuation that varies significantly based on economic factors Although the calculation of the transactions involved in the allowance for doubtful accounts may be relatively simple$ significant udgment is involved in determining the ultimate net reali4able value of receivables (he ability of a customer to pay its debts depends on a number of factors$ including future economic and industry conditions$ and whether its management makes good business decisions (his means that estimating the proper valuation of the allowance for doubtful accounts is often very difficult
5-5
;(!7: =ratt Company "Estimated time: %0 minutes# Deficiencies in the =ratt Company audit working paper include the following: "1#
(he working paper is not properly identified !t appears to be a bank reconciliation6 if so$ the heading of the paper should include this information as well as the e'act title of the ledger account and the name of the bank !n addition$ the audit date should be indicated
"%#
?=er bank? is not a specific identification of the beginning amount in the working paper A better caption would be ?.alance per bank statement$ December )1$ %00L?
")#
?=er ledger? is not a specific identification of the ending amount in the working paper A better caption would be ?.alance per general ledger$ December )1$ %00L
"#
(he outstanding checks are not properly identified (he appropriate check numbers should be indicated
"5#
Assuming no adusting ournal entries are reuired$ the M%$0)58 balance per general ledger should be cross-referenced to the working trial balance or cash lead schedule
"/#
(he nature of the verification work performed by the auditor is not clear (he one tick mark and the word ?Jerified$? are inadeuate eparate tick marks should be used for the following legend:
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
?Confirmed? "for balance per bank statement$ December )1$ %00L# ?E'amined paid check returned with Ianuary$ %00N$ cutoff bank statement? "for the si' outstanding checks indicated as ?verified?# ?(raced to general ledger? "for balance per general ledger$ December )1$ %00L#
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"#
(he conclusions of the staff assistant should be stated
"8#
Description seems uestionable !f these represent cash sales for December )1$ %00L$ one must uestion why the receipts were not received by the bank until 1G9G0N 3urther procedures are necessary to determine whether the cash may have been received after yearend
"9#
Description is inconsistent with subtracting the bank charges from the balance per bank (he bank has already recorded this as a disbursement (he entry in effect deletes the charge again from the bank&s balance ince the cash disbursement is not recorded on the books until Ianuary$ it should be necessary to add back the service charge to obtain the book balance at 1%G)1G0L Although the amount is obviously immaterial in and of itself$ it may be indicative of a much larger problem since one should not be able to reconcile to the penny when there is an incorrect entry such as this
"10#
.ecause the checks described by → were on hand at year-end$ they do not represent disbursements until Ianuary Accordingly$ the entry in which these were recorded as disbursements should be reversed at year-end$ and then recorded in Ianuary
;(!7: ;den upply Company "Estimated time: 5 minutes# "a#
Analytical procedures performed at the risk assessment stage are designed to help the auditors identify unusual transactions$ events$ or amounts that might affect the fairness of the financial statements (hey are also used to help the auditors increase their understanding of the client@s business
"b#
(he solutions to parts "b# and "c# will vary depending upon the e'pectations developed by the student (he suggested solutions are based on the pattern of the trends$ giving consideration to the nature of the account
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
ales "M10$100 O M00# M 10$800 Cost of goods sold "M10$800 ' /915#$/8
M10$800 ' )1 F M)$)8 gross profit M)$)8 - M)$))% "e'pected gross profit# F M1/ e'pected misstatement
"d#
any would consider the amount as immaterial as a M1/$000 misstatement of a net income before ta'es of M))$000 is less than 5H of income Chapter / discusses materiality in greater detail A difference such as this makes clear the difficult task of determining what is actually a material misstatement
#n$Class Team Case
5-5/
;(!7: >ouseco "Estimated time: %5 minutes# (he financial statements for this case were loosely constructed using those of the ,egina Jacuum Cleaner Company shortly before its failure ,egina$ a manufacturer of electric broom type vacuum cleaners "not toasters as in this case# overstated sales and receivables and understated sales returns and allowances relating to cheap models of electric brooms which did not operate as advertised "1#
Cash2(he hori4ontal analysis shows large increases >owever$ these increases are largely due to the small amount of cash on hand at 1%G)1GL/
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
"%#
Accounts receivable2(he vertical analysis reveals that receivables increased in %0L as a proportion of total assets$ and stayed at that relative level for %0L8 (he hori4ontal analysis reveals that the percentage increase in receivables was 9)H and 8H$ respectively$ for the two years (hese are particularly large increases as compared to the increases in gross sales "0H and )8H# for the two years (his causes one to uestion whether receivables are possibly overstated at year-end or whether collectibility of receivables may be in uestion (he decrease in the receivable turnover$ and increase in days@ sales in ending receivables also raise uestions concerning collectibility of receivables (he increase in receivables "as well as inventory# e'plains most of the changes in the current and uick ratios
")#
!nventories2!nventories have increased from %)H of total assets in %0L/$ to ))H in %0L8 ,aw materials$ work in process$ and finished goods have all increased significantly (he hori4ontal analysis reveals that increases in inventories greatly e'ceed the increases in gross sales Days@ sales in ending inventory have increased from 5 to more than 11% As indicated above$ the increase in inventory and receivables e'plains most of the changes in the current and uick ratios (he case does not indicate the date of the meeting between the C=A and the client$ but these increases raise uestions as to e'istence$ which might be addressed through the inventory observation Jaluation uestions might be addressed through analysis of components of the inventory
"#
verall current liabilities2Accounts payable and accrued liabilities in particular seem low$ given the great increases in the si4e the overall company (hese small changes also help e'plain the increased current and uick ratios
"5#
.ank debt2(he company apparently secured a large new bank loan during the year Details of this loan will be confirmed$ and the debt agreement e'amined
"/#
"#
ales returns and allowance2(his number seems particularly low for %0L8 Bhile sales increased )8H in %0L8$ the returns and allowances decreased by 50H
"8#
Cost of goods sold2Cost of goods sold$ as a percentage of net sales$ has decreased from /1H in %0L/$ to 5% H in %0L8 Bhile this may be due to increased levels of sales$ one must uestion it$ particularly given the increased reported total inventories
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
"9#
!nterest e'pense2(he increase in interest does not relate well to the increase in bank debt ne e'planation might be that the debt was obtained near year-end >owever$ given the limited cash remaining this might not be accurate
"10#
!ncome ta'es2(he increase here is less than one would e'pect$ given the increase in income before ta'es
Researc% and Discussion Cases
5-5
;(!7: Datasave$ !nc "Estimated time: %5 minutes# (he purposes of obtaining the representation letter are to have management acknowledge their primary responsibility for the financial statements$ and to get in writing the important oral representations that have been obtained from management during the course of the audit AICPA AU 580 (PCAOB 333) reuires that the auditors obtain written representations from management on every audit engagement 3ailure to do so is a ?scope limitation$? which precludes the auditors from issuing an unualified opinion AICPA AU 580 also indicates that the representation letter should be signed by members of management that are responsible for and knowledgeable about the matters covered by the representations and that$ normally$ they should be signed by the chief e'ecutive officer and the chief financial officer AICPA AU 580 further states that the auditors should consider the effects of management&s refusal to furnish written representations on their ability to rely on other of their representations AICPA AU 700 "=CA. 508# provides that when the client imposes restrictions that significantly limit the scope of the audit$ the auditors generally should issue a disclaimer of opinion "a#
(he following are alternative courses of action that are available to you$ and supporting arguments "1#
Nou could accept Co'&s suggestion and issue an unualified opinion Bagner is no longer part of management of the company (herefore$ there is no reason to reuire his signature on the representation letter Nour firm can still adhere to the letter of the standard by having ,oss sign the letter
"%#
Nou could issue a ualified opinion because of the scope limitation Bagner was an important part of management during the period under audit >e is knowledgeable of and responsible for many of the matters covered by the representations 3ailure to obtain his signature would be a significant scope limitation ince Bagner is no longer part of management$ this is not a scope limitation imposed by the client that would generally result in a disclaimer of opinion
")#
Nou could issue a disclaimer of opinion$ using the arguments from "%#$ but concluding that the refusal to sign is a scope limitation imposed by management (he mysterious circumstances surrounding the resignation of Bagner might also support this conclusion
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
"#
"b#
Nou could withdraw from the engagement (his course of action may be ustified if Bagner&s refusal to sign the letter causes you to uestion the integrity of management (he unanswered uestions regarding the reasons for Bagner&s resignation also provide some support for this course of action
ur opinion: (he mysterious circumstances surrounding the resignation of Bagner should be of as much concern as Bagner&s failure to sign the representation letter =erhaps Bagner was being forced by other members of management to misstate the financial statements Assuming that the auditors could resolve their concerns about that matter$ it probably would not be necessary to obtain Bagner&s signature on the letter$ and an unualified opinion could be issued btaining the signature of ,oss on the letter also is probably not important$ because he is neither knowledgeable of nor responsible for the matters contained in the representation letter
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;(!7: !nterstate and Development Corporation "Estimated time: 5 minutes# "a#
!n connection with registration audits$ auditors may be liable for any losses to persons acuiring the security that are pro'imately caused by the auditors& ordinary negligence (his is a higher standard of liability than the gross negligence standard e'isting under common law "Ultramares approach# and under the ecurities E'change Act of 19) !n addition to being liable for losses attributable to ordinary negligence$ a considerable portion of the burden of proof is transferred by the 19)) Act to the defendants (hus$ the auditors must prove ?due diligence$? rather than the plaintiffs having to prove negligence
"b#
(he !, investigation constitutes a subseuent event2that is$ information coming to the auditors& attention subseuent to the balance sheet date As indicated in the te't$ the ecurities Act of 19)) e'tends the auditors& attention to subseuent events to the effective date of the registration statement ince this !, investigation has come to light prior to that date$ the auditors are responsible for proper financial statement presentation of these facts (he M800$000 ta' liability is a loss contingency$ in that there e'ists some uncertainty as to whether or not the loss has actually occurred FASB ASC 50!"0!"$ dealing with loss contingencies$ establishes criteria for accruing$ disclosing$ or ignoring loss contingencies !f the loss is ?probable? and can be ?reasonably estimated$? it should be accrued in the %0L/ financial statements !f either one of these criteria has not been met$ but it is still at least ?reasonably possible? that a loss has been incurred$ disclosure is reuired nly if the prospects of a loss having been incurred are ?remote? can this contingency be ignored in the financial statements (hus$ the auditors must make a udgmental decision as to whether it is appropriate to ignore$ disclose$ or accrue a loss relating to this matter in the %0L/ financial statements
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Chapter 05 - Audit Evidence and Documentation
=rior to making this decision$ the C=A firm should investigate the potential ta' liability of !nterstate$ rather than merely relying upon Dunkirk&s evaluation (he auditors should review !nterstate&s ta' returns for the years in uestion (hey should also review all correspondence between !nterstate and the !, in order to determine the areas under challenge and to udge the validity of the !,&s assessment 3urthermore$ the C=As should obtain !nterstate&s legal counsel&s evaluation of the situation !n all probability$ arshal and Byatt should at least insist upon complete disclosure of this situation in the financial statements6 they may even need to insist upon accrual of a liability for some or all of the M800$000$ depending upon the outcome of their investigation "c#
7o Although a minority of state courts apply the privileged communication rule to the C=A-client relationship$ the federal courts do ?to follow this rule of evidence >ence$ the C=A firm had no choice but to honor the subpoena even though it did not prepare the client&s ta' returns
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